Toy liquid dispenser



July 6, 1965 E- E. BEAUBIEN TOY LIQUID DISPENSER Filed Sept. 5, 1963 ATTORNEY 3,193,149 TOY LIQUID DISPENSER Everett E. Beanbien, 388 E. 8th St., St. Paul, Minn. Filed Sept. 3, 1963, Ser. No. 305,961 Claims. (Cl. 222109) This invention relates to an improvement in toy liquid dispensers and deals particularly with an apparatus which can be applied to the top of an open topped container for the dispensing of fluid.

Many types of novelties have been provided for the dispensing of fluid. Many types of novelties have been provided for the dispensing of goods of one type or another. It has been found that in many instances the use of dispensers of one type or another have attendency to increase the consumption of goods which a small child should have, but often does not appreciate the value of. For example, some difliculty is often experienced in getting a small child to drink the desired amount of milk. However, it has also been found that if the milk is dispensed in a novel and unusual way, the child will be much more cooperative in drinking the milk, because of the novel way in which it is dispensed. The same is true to a lesser degree with adults, and while the problem is not the same, there is novelty in the manner in which certain liquids may be dispensed. It is an object of the present invention to provide a novel dispenser which is in the form of a pump and which may be detachably mounted upon a receptacle, and which may be used to pump the liquid from the receptacle into a cup, glass, or the like.

A feature of the present invention resides in the provision of the type described including a cap which is designed to telescope over the upper end of a receptacle, and which may be used to dispense the liquid by pumping it from the receptacle through a pump somewhat simulating the hand pumps commonly used for pumping liquids from a well. The portion of the device which attaches to the receptacle is provided with an integral open top drain receptacle which is located directly beneath the spout of the pump so that any excess of liquid pumped may return to the interior of the receptacle.

A further feature of the present invention resides in the provision of a device of the type described which may, if desired, be made of transparent plastic so that the device will serve as an educational toy as well as a dispenser. The structure is such that the interior operation of the pump may be readily viewed thereby instructing a child in the manner in which a pump is formed.

While the toy pump has been described as useful in dispensing milk, it has numerous other uses. It can be used in the yard or bathtub for pumping water. It can be used as a cold drink dispenser, the ice cubes remaining in the container. It can even be used while fishing to pump water from a boat. Thus the uses and amusement provided are manifold.

These and other objects and novel features of the present invention will be more clearly and fully set forth in the following specification and claims.

In the drawings forming a part of the specification:

FIGURE 1 is a vertical sectional view through the apparatus showing the piston on the pump in one position.

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged section similar to FIGURE 1, but showing the piston in its other extreme position.

FIGURE 3 is a top plan view of the cap portion of the apparatus, the pump itself having been removed to simplify the illustration.

FIGURE 4 is a sectional view on the line 44 of FIG- URE l.

' FIGURE 5 is a sectional view on the line 55 of FIG- URE l.

The dispenser is indicated in general by the letter A, and in the particular form illustrated is designed to fit upon a half gallon milk carton B. When used in this way, after a small portion of the carton contents have been removed, the top portion of the carton is cut along certain lines which have been printed on the surface of the carton so that the dispensing apparatus may be accommodated.

Obviously, the lower portion B of the apparatus can comprise a receptacle particularly adopted for the purpose, and the use of the carton may be avoided. In such a case, the receptacle may be generally cylindrical as well as rectangular in form. Thus the adapter portion of the dispenser may fit on to a coflee can or other receptacle.

One of the particular advantages of the structure in question lies in the fact that the entire apparatus is formed of plastic and includes a very small number of parts. Furthermore, the device can be assembled with a minimum of difficulty. In preferred form, the body parts are formed of a plastic material which is extremely strong. The interior working parts are made of a plastic which is somewhat resilient to simplify the assembly process. The device is purposely made so that it may be assembled and disassembled without the use of bolts or other such fastening means, and this is also of advantage from an educational standpoint.

The dispenser includes a cap or adapter 10 which is either rectangular in shape or is otherwise shaped to fit the top of the receptacle B. The adapter 10 in the construction illustrated includes a top panel 11 having depeding side walls 12 and a depending rear wall 13. The cap is similarly provided with a depending pair of front wall portions 14 extending inwardly in a common plane from the opposite side walls 12.

The open topped drain receptacle forming a part of the adapter 10 is indicated in general by the numeral 15. This receptacle includes a panel 16 which extends between the front wall portions 14 and terminates in a downwardly extending lip 17. The receptacle 15 is provided with upwardly extending side walls 19 which extend forwardly from the front wall portions 14, and a front wall portion 20, which connects the parallel side walls 19 and closes the front of the receptacle. This arrangement provides an open topped receptacle designed to contain the overflow of fluid and to return it to the inside of the receptacle B. As indicated in FIGURE 3, the top panel 11 is notched along its forward edge as shown at 21, and the notch 21 is lined by a downwardly projecting flange 22. The top panel 11 is provided with an integral sleeve 23 extending through the panel, the sleeve 23 being of tapered generally frusto-conical shape with the largest diameter portion of the sleeve uppermost.

The dispenser A also includes a pump barrel 24 of generally cylindrical shape having a transverse partition 25 therein forming a closed bottom to the cylinder. An integral nipple 26 extends downwardly from the partition 25, the nipple including a tapered portion 27 which forms a seat for a valve ball 29. A cylindrical reduced diametenportion 30 of the nipple frictionally supports a tube 31 designed to extend to a point near the lower extermity of the container B. The upper cylindrical portion of the nipple 26 is provided with angularly spaced ribs 28 which hold the valve ball centered while permitting the liquid to flow when the ball is raised from the seat 27. The ribs are provided at their upper ends with inwardly projecting ears 28a which hold the ball within the nipple. The ribs and cars will flex sufiiciently to permit the ball to be snapped into place.

The upper end of the cylinder is provided with a chamber 32 which may be of any suitable shape, but

which in the construction iliustrated, the chamber is defined by an upwardly and outwardly tapering wall provided with a pouring spout 33 having side walls 34 con-v nected to the tapered wall 33. A pair of spaced arms 35 are molded integrally with the chamber 32 and exand the end 39'is pivotallycngaged with the bifurcated upper end 47 of the pistonrod' ld. The tube 31' is frictionally engaged on the lower end 39 of the nipple 26 and tend upwardly therefrom. The two arms include aligned sockets or apertures 36 near their upper. extremities. A I pump handle 37 is pivotally attached between the two arms. The pump handle preferably is provided with a pair of opposed pivots 37 which are located intermediate the ends of the handlefand which are inserted into the apertures 36 near the upper ends of the arms 35 by fiex-v ing the arms apart. The upper end 39 of the 'pump the apparatus is in readiness for use. As the handle 37 isswung in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in the drawings from the position "shown in FIGURE' Z to the position shown in FIGURE 1, the piston rod 46 ismoved downwardly. The flange 57 engages the top of the partition: wall 43 forming a part of the piston 41 and the valve plate 53 is out of engagementwitlrthe seat 44 so I that'any 'liquid within the cylinder, 24 maypass through handle preferably curves into generally right angular're- Y lation to the handle end 44 so that the upper'end 39 is substantially horizontal and located above the center of the 1 cylinder 24 when the handle 40 is in generally vertical lowered position. In general, the pump handle ?v is designed to simulate the handle of hand pumps which have been used for many years A valve piston 41 is slidable in the cylinder'24 with a from the position shown in FIGURE'I, to the position slip fit forming an effective seal withoutthe use of gaskets or other sealing means. The piston-"41 includes a cylindrical sleeve 42 which slides within the cylinder 24' and j includes a partition wall 43 intermediate its ends. A flange 44 having a tapered inner surface projects down wardly from the partition wall 43, the inner surface. q slanting downwardly and outwardly. Within, the flange" 44 the partition wall 43 is provided with'a series of an gularly spaced apertures 45 extending therethrough.

The. piston 41 is operated by a piston rod 4 6 having an upper end which is bifurcated as indicated at 47. As

indicated in FIGURE 4 of the drawings,-the bifurcated end 47 isprovided with a pairof opposed sockets 49 therein. The pump handle 37 is provided with a pair of the actioniof the various parts may be seen.

opposed pivotsafiti projecting therefrom andwhichare' engaged in the sockets 49. The material forming'the rod 46 is sufficiently flexible to permitthe end of the I .handle 37 hearing the pivots 5% to besnapped into place The partition wall43 is provided with a central aper-j ture 51 through which the rod 46 extends' 'Thepistori rod 46 is provided adjacent its lower end with a circumv,

ferential groove'SZ. A valve disk 53 is provided with'a central aperture 54 of proper size to fit into the groove 52, the aperture 54 being of'lesser'diameter than the lower extremity 55 of the rod 46. "The lower'rod end 55 is rounded so. as 'to facilitate the snapping of the valve plate 53 into the groove 52.. As both the rod'46 and the valve disk 53 are of resilient material, the two parts may be assembled.

45 I claim:

The valve disk 53 is provided with a downwardly extending peripheral flange 56 having a tapered outer surface adaptedto seat against the tapered inner surface of the flange 44.' The rod 46 is provided with a peripheral flange 57 which is spaced somewhat above the partition plate 43 when the valve disk 53 'is seated against the flange 44. V

In the assembly of the apparatus, the cylinder 24, the outer surface of which is slightly tapered at its'lowe'r end, is forced into a tapered sleeve 59 extending through the top plate 11 of the adapter. I When the cylinder 24and sleeve 59 are cylindrical a key such as 60 may be provided to hold thecylinder in proper relation .to the adapter. The valve ball 29 is snapped into place in the nipple 26 toserve as a check valve. 7 V

The lower end of the'rod 46 is inserted through the aperture 51 in the partition plate 43 forming a part of thepiston 41 and the valve plate 53 is snapped over the rounded lower end 55 of the rod 46 to'engage in the groove 52. The piston 41'is thusslidably supported on the rod 46. In one extreme position,'the valve disk 53 no sealingrings are provided.

shown inFIGURE 2, the upward movementof the piston rod'46 moves the valve plate 53 into engagement with the valve seat-44 and the liquid above the piston is ele- "creates a partialvacuum within the cylinder 24 beneath thepiston 41,fdrawing-liquid from the receptacle B upwardly pastthe check valve ball-29 and into the cylinder 24. As thepiston rod '46 is again reciprocated downwardly, the check valveball 29 seats trapping the liquid within the cylinder 24, the fluid again flowing through the piston 41 as the piston descends.

It will be noted that the structure is unique in that it requires noseals, gaskets, or removable parts such as pivots and the like. In preferred form, at least the upper portion of the body is made of'transparent plastic so that Thus the device comprises an-educational toyin that the operation of the structure may be noted, and as the various parts .may be readily disassembled'and assembled. The toy is actually extremely efiicient'in its operation even though In accordance .with the patent statutes, lhave described the principles'of construction and operation of myimprovement in Toy Liquid Dispensers, and while I have endeavored to set forth the best embodiment thereof, I desire to have it understood that changes may be made within the :scope of the following claims without departing from the spirit of,my-inventic'anlv 1 7 I. A toy pump for use in demonstrating the operation of a hand pump including a cyilndrical tube, an open topped'chamber connected to'the upper end of said tube, a pouring spout on said chamber'through. which liquid from said chamber may be discharged, a pair of spaced parall'elarms secured to said'chamber and having aligned apertures extending therethrough, a pump handle having a pair of opposed projections intermediate its ends .detachably engaged in said apertures saidarmsbeing of a material'sufiiciently resilient to permit said projections to be engaged in' and normally supported in said apertures, a piston slidable insaid cylinder, a piston rod of resilient material having a bifurcated end adapted to accommodate an end of said pump handle, aligned sockets in said bifurcated end, opposed projections on said pump handle. enddetachably engaged in said sockets, said pis- 'ton rod'extending through said piston, shoulder means on -said piston rod engageablexwithsaid piston, and a 'valve plate frictionally engaged'on thelower end of said valve plate is spaced from said piston, a fluid inlet at is in ceiling relationwith. thefflang'e 44 In its other;

extreme position, the partition wall 43 of'the piston41 bears against'the flange 57.."

The handle .37 is piyotally' engagedl'with the arms the bottom of said cylinder and a check valve in said inlet opened by upward movement of liquid into said cylinder. 1

'7 2. The structure of claim 1 and in whichsaid cylinder is made of transparent plastic. r

3. The structure of-claim' 11 and in which said check valveis supported in a, transverse partition wall at the lower end of said cylinder and includes a nipple having a tapered lower apertured end, a valve ball normally closing said tapered end, and resilient means extending into said nipple above said valve ball releasably retaining said valve ball in said nipple.

4. The structure of claim 1 and including a supporting adapter including a sleeve into Which said cylinder is friction-ally engaged.

5. The structure of claim 1 and including an adapter including a closure plate, a marginal flange on said closure plate adapted to telescopically engage a container, a trough shaped extension projecting beyond said closure plate beneath said pouring spout, the base of said trough shaped extension extending inwardly of said marginal flange.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 100,393 3/70 Gray 22=2-111 X 234,411 11/80 Laverty 222-109 1,060,619 5/13 Nusly 4639 2,631,756 3/53 Fox et al 222385 X FOREIGN PATENTS 603,349 4/26 France.

LOUIS J. DEMBO, Primary Examiner.

HADD S. LANE, Examiner. 

1. A TOY PUMP FO RUSE IN DEMONSTRATING THE OPERATION OF A HAND PUMP INCLUDING A CYLINDRICAL TUBE, AN OPEN TOPPED CHAMBER CONNECTED TO THE UPPER END OF SAID TUBE, A POURING SPOUT ON SAID CHAMBER THROUGH WHICH LIQUID FROM SAID CHAMBER MAY BE DISCHARGED, A PAIR OF SPACED PARALLEL ARMS SECURED TO SAID CHAMBER AND HAVING ALIGNED APERTURES EXTENDING THERETHROUGH, A PUMP HANDLE HAVING A PAIR OF OPPOSED PROJECTIONS INTERMEDIATE ITS ENDS DETACHABLY ENGAGED IN SAID APERTURES SAID ARMS BEING OF A MATERIAL SUFFICIENTLY RESILIENT TO PERMIT SAID PROJECTIONS TO BE ENGAGED IN AND NORMALLY SUPPORTED IN SAID APERTURES, A PISTON SLIDABLE IN SAID CYLINDER, A PISTON ROD OF RESILIENT MATERIAL HAVING A BIFURCATED END ADAPTED TO ACCOMMODATE AN END OF SAID PUMP HANDLE, ALIGNED SOCKETS IN SAID BIFURCATED END, OPPOSED PROJECTIONS ON SAID PUMP HANDLE END DETACHABLY ENGAGED IN SAID SOCKETS, SAID PISTON ROD EXTENDING THROUGH SAID PISTON, SHOULDER MEANS ON SAID PISTON ROD ENGAGEABLE WITH SAID PISTON, AND A VALVE PLATE FRICTIONALLY ENGAGED ON THE LOWER END OF SAID PISTON ROD BELOW SAID PISTON, SAID PISTON HAVING AN APERTURE THERETHROUGH CLOSED BY SAID VALVE PLATE WHEN SAID VALVE PLATE IS SPACED FROM SAID PISTON, A FLUID INLET AT THE BOTTOM OF SAID CYLINDER AND A CHECK VALVE IN SAID INLET OPENED BY UPWARD MOVEMENT OF LIQUID INTO SAID CYLINDER. 